


31 Days of Hallowe'en Challenge

by ShawnBasset



Category: Free!
Genre: 31 Days of Hallowe'en, Drabbles, Fluff, M/M, Multi, One-Shots, Savodraws, So much shameless fluff, Sorry Not Sorry, Spoopy Art Challenge, Tumblr Challenge, various pairings - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-19 13:33:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2390132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShawnBasset/pseuds/ShawnBasset
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the Tumblr prompt by Savodraws. 31 days, 31 different, one-word/phrase prompts to do with as you please. Since I can't do art in any other way, writing it is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

1\. Fall Leaves

 

“Living in the country was a good idea because…?” Makoto turned to face Seijuurou, an eyebrow raised. He mopped at his sweating brow with a gloved hand, not realizing that he’d just smeared God-knows-what across his forehead. His other hand held a rake, as it had done for the last several hours, and quite frankly, he was getting _tired_. This had been the third day of raking leaves as they tumbled from their trees.

 

A few months ago, Seijuurou had come home to their cramped little city apartment with a distinct glint in his eyes, which immediately had Makoto suspicious. That usually meant he had an idea, and Seijuurou’s ideas weren’t always good things.

“Let’s move to the country!” he had proclaimed loudly enough to make their neighbour yell, “Yes please!” through the thin walls. Not one of his better ideas after all. When Makoto didn’t say anything, Seijuurou took took his silence as interest, and soldiered on.

“It’s not like we never lived in the country before,” he said. “I mean, look at all the space! Imagine the fresh air, the colours, the scenery, the _size of the house_ we could afford compared to this little closet.” He gestured broadly with his arms, as if to highlight their accommodations’ shortcomings in one fell swoop while grinning broadly, his eyes shining.

“Sei, just last night you called this place our ‘love nest’ and didn’t want to leave,” pointed out Makoto, unhelpfully. He dragged a hand over his face in exasperation as Seijuurou pattered on and on at length about this cute little country house he’d found walking by a real-estate agents’. At least Seijuurou’s harebrained ideas tended to pan out pretty quickly, after all.

 

Makoto stood, simply leaning on his rake as his tired shoulders reveled in their pause from yard cleanup. Despite the cool fall air, his clothes were unpleasantly clingy from sweat. His gloves were dirty, he was filthy all over, and was tired of holding the yard waste bags open while Seijuurou messily stuffed leaves and broken twigs into them. He huffed a stray strand of hair out from his eyes, waiting for Seijuurou to respond.

“Well,” he started, “do remember how I told you about all the fresh air?” He took a step closer as Makoto reluctantly nodded. “Do you remember the scenery we’d imagined together?” He took yet another step closer.

“I’m pretty sure you imagined most of that on your own,” Makoto replies coolly, despite the growing smile on his face.

“And wasn’t I right that we could afford a much larger place out here?”

“You were, and now we can barely keep up with the maintenance,” said Makoto, a little desperately, as he looked around the seemingly never-ending sprawl of their yard.

“But most of all, do you remember what I said about the colours?” He was right in front of Makoto at this point. “If I remember correctly, I said that all of this greenspace would still pale in comparison to your eyes, Mako.” His voice dropped to a velvety whisper, nearly borne away from Makoto on the pastoral breeze. Makoto blushed, remembering the sweet talk that was _definitely_ one of the reasons he had given in so easily to Seijuurou in the first place. Seijuurou’s hand came up, glove-free and soft, to cup Makoto’s face, running his thumb along the cheekbone where Makoto’s blush had settled quite prettily. His other hand snaked around to Makoto’s lower back, to press him into Seijuurou’s chest. He tilted Makoto’s face up minutely to press a simple kiss to Makoto’s mouth, reveling in the tastes of the season on Makoto’s lips. Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves danced on Seijuurou’s tongue, courtesy of Makoto’s mother’s latest round of baking. He broke the kiss and looked back at Makoto, holding him close.

“But everything isn’t green anymore, Sei.” Makoto’s hands slid up Seijuurou’s back to card into his hair. “Everything’s turning red and orange and gold.” Makoto’s voice was hushed as well, thick with emotion and promise. “It reminds me of a certain someone.” Green eyes bored into gold as Seijuurou felt Makoto’s hands slide back down his spine and onto his chest, splayed out against the planes of muscle under his ratty sweater, where they pushed. Hard.

Seijuurou went reeling backwards, long arms windmilling as he tried to regain his balance, and fell gracelessly into the pile of leaves Makoto had just been raking. He looked up at the younger man in shock as he was nearly doubled over, laughing like his life depended on it.

“Oh _God_ , your _face_ was just too good,” he wheezed, tears in the corners of his eyes. Seijuurou stood, brushed off the leaves from his pants, and tried to scrape together his dignity and failed as he started to chuckle along with Makoto.

“You’re such a dork,” he said, a fond smile on his face as Makoto’s giggle fit started to abate.

“Too bad you’re stuck with me,” said Makoto, as he drew Seijuurou in against him once again. "That's my line," said Seijuurou as he pressed a kiss to Makoto's cheekbone. “Those leaves are really pretty in your hair, they bring so much colour into your face.” Makoto reached up to brush some of the hair away that had moved when Seijuurou was so rudely shoved to the ground.

Seijuurou reached up and pulled a leaf from his hair, turning it over between his fingers. “You know, I’m pretty sure this is how Momo found Pyonsuke way back when.”

 

Seijuurou had never seen Makoto run back to the house so fast.

 

* * *

 

And so ends day one. 


	2. Crow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rin wages a one-sided war with a bird.

2\. Crow

 

Rin’s eyes shot open. He rolled over, pulling his phone from under his pillow to check the time. 5:15 in the morning. _Are you fucking kidding me?!_ This had been the eighth morning in a row that he had been woken by that Goddamned _crow_ lurking on the tree branch just outside his dorm window. He flopped back over, exhausted and exasperated, his bed and the room suddenly stifling, his sheets constricting. He flung them off of himself in a huff, prompting Sousuke to stir in the bunk above him.

“Stop it, you’re shaking the whole bed,” complained Sousuke from above, his voice tired. 

“At least you’re not waking me up,” said Rin, his voice ragged and angry. “That crow’s got something coming to it.”

"You’ve got something coming to you,” said Sousuke, sounding somehow sleepy and threatening. “You’ve been up, shouting at that crow like a lunatic every morning for the past _week_.” Sousuke turned over, the mattress above Rin creaking under his considerable bulk. “Shut up, or I’ll give you something to complain about.”

“You sound like a dad on an American sitcom,” complained Rin

"That’s not what this is about,” said Sousuke, sounding more awake. “This is about you waking me up with your pointless vendetta against a bird.”

“Well, you’d feel the same way if you were rudely woken up at the crack of ass every morning.”

“Something gives me the idea that I know _exactly_ what you’re feeling,” said Sousuke drily.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” asked Rin, acidly.

“Oh, I dunno, something irritating that wakes me up every morning without fail?” said Sousuke, his tone thoroughly unamused. “It leaves shortly after you do, when you go out for your run in a huff, you know.” This statement only served to agitate Rin further.

“It fucking _knows_ ,” he seethed. Sousuke leaned over the edge of his bunk to see Rin sitting on the edge of his bed, his elbows on his knees as he hung his head in his hands.

 "Or maybe it just doesn’t stick around for long after it sits in the tree for a few minutes. I never noticed it until _you_ started losing your shit every time it showed up in the morning.”

“Well, sorry I don’t sleep like the fucking dead,” retorted Rin weakly. Sousuke just huffed out a sigh and turned over.

“Just let it go, Rin.”

“ _No!”_

Sousuke just threw an extra pillow at him, smiling slightly at Rin’s undignified squawk, waiting for him to throw the pillow back up at him so he could just go back to sleep.


	3. Pumpkin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Three of the Spooky Art Tumblr challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was in a bit of a rush to finish this, and re-wrote it a few times because it felt even more stilted than this does. Need to give myself more time to actually plan these things out in the future.

3\. Pumpkin

 

_Ryuugazaki Rei, you are a genius._ Rei felt proud and slightly smug as he surveyed his freshly set-up pumpkin carving station. Newspapers were neatly laid out on his kitchen table, along with all of the necessary tools. He had large bowls to collect the innards as they were scooped out, knives that were able to cut pumpkins and not much else, as well as a variety of little bits and bobs for detail work while carving. This year’s pumpkin-carving was going to be absolutely perfect, unlike the Pumpkin Carving that Shan’t Be Discussed that happened last year, where neither Rei nor Nagisa ended up with anything that could remotely be described as beautiful.

Carefully, he brought his pumpkin onto the table and began laying out the intricate butterfly pattern he had found online. He outlined the borders of his scene last, then set about cutting out a hole on top in order to scoop out the sticky insides with a large spoon. He set the bowl aside, and brought out his tools to scrape away at the front as to let the candlelight shine through while not going all the way through the flesh. As he worked away at thinning away the walls of the pumpkin, the front door slammed open, causing him to jump violently.

“Rei-chan, I’m home! And I brought snacks!” Nagisa’s cheery voice was loud in the small space of their apartment, but he didn’t care. He was just excited to be carving pumpkins with his favourite person in the whole wide world. He dropped off his shopping bag on the counter, and retrieved his own, slightly misshapen pumpkin from the corner of the kitchen where Rei had set it so it would be out of the way. He thumped it down onto the table, drawing a slightly scandalized noise from Rei, which Nagisa didn’t notice.

Rei had looked at Nagisa skeptically when he chose his pumpkin earlier in the week from the farmer’s market. It was short, squat, and somewhat lopsided, but Nagisa had declared it to be perfect and that was the end of that discussion, even if Rei didn’t quite understand  _why_ it was perfect.

“Aren’t you going to lay out a design first, Nagisa-kun?” asked Rei, after regaining his composure both from Nagisa’s entrance and the subsequent dropping of a pumpkin onto the table, which had send Rei’s tools into disarray. He sorted them out as Nagisa squinted at his pumpkin, determining which side he wanted to use.

“No, I think I’ll just make it up as I go along!” His declaration almost had Rei in a nervous sweat. “It’ll be more fun that way!” He grabbed a knife Rei didn’t remember setting on the table among the other tools, and started into the top of his pumpkin with reckless abandon. Soon, pumpkin guts were littering the table as Nagisa began scooping his pumpkin out, nearly flinging seeds clear across the room.

“Nagisa-kun, please try to be more careful,” admonished Rei, as he put the finishing contours along the biggest butterfly’s wings and sitting back to admire his handiwork. He looked over to see Nagisa all but  _stabbing_ a face into his pumpkin and watched in mild horror as Nagisa worked, his little tongue peeking out the side of his mouth as he concentrated, eyebrows drawn. The face was taking shape, Rei supposed. The eyes weren’t on the same level, the nose wasn’t centred and the mouth only had three teeth. Nagisa stood back from the kitchen table, turning his head this way and that while he appraised his pumpkin’s face.

“It’s perfect!” he declared finally, as Rei moved to his side, thinking there must have been something he was missing. Nagisa looked over at Rei’s pumpkin. “Rei-chan, yours is so pretty, but it’s not scary. Hallowe’en is supposed to be scary!”

“But scary things can’t be beautiful,” murmured Rei. “I just wanted mine to be perfect, I had to look so hard to find a pumpkin that was the right shape and size.” He sighed. Nagisa took his hand and patted it reassuringly.

“Don’t worry about it, Rei-chan. Not everyone can carve a pumpkin the way you can,” said Nagisa soothingly. “And mine’s scary enough for the both of us!” He tugged Rei down to press a kiss to his frowning mouth, hoping to make his boyfriend forget about his jack-o-lantern long enough that it would disappear from his face.

Rei sighed in contentment, pulling his hand from Nagisa’s to wrap around his waist, pulling the shorter boy into his embrace. Rei’s other hand went around Nagisa shortly after, but didn’t settle on his waist. It went instead into the bowl of pumpkin guts on the table, grabbing a handful of the slimy, stringy mess with every intention of dropping some down the collar of Nagisa’s loose-fitting shirt. Rei smirked into Nagisa’s mouth just a little, and then yelped as he felt the uncomfortably familiar sensation of something cold and slippery making its way down his spine to soak into the waist of his trousers.

Nagisa laughed breathlessly as Rei chased him around the apartment for the second time in what was likely going to become a tradition in the years to come.


	4. Treats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto bakes, and Seijuurou tries to meddle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For day four of the Spooky Art Challenge on Tumblr.

Everybody was always getting on Makoto's case about his cooking. True, it was no secret that he was a horror in the kitchen when it came to culinary endeavors, but that's what made it all the more shocking when he showed up to Rei's birthday party with gorgeous cupcakes with handmade butterflies on them, claiming he'd made them himself. It was even more shocking when people bit into them, fearing they were filled with sawdust or were hard as rocks and were instead treated to sinfully moist, soft and delicious crumb covered in exquisitely beaten and carefully applied icing. Rei even apologized to Makoto later for having eaten such a beautiful creation.

Makoto simply smiled and told Rei not to worry about it because they were meant to be eaten, all the while inwardly revelling at the praise. It made up for every time his friends had politely but staunchly refused his cooking in the past, and it gave him closure to see they were disappointed he hadn't brought another dozen.

And it was because of this newly appreciated art that he was roped into baking two dozen Hallowe'en-themed cupcakes for Ren and Ran's class party. Makoto started clattering through the kitchen of the small apartment he'd shared for a year with Seijuurou, prompting the redhead to pop his head in from the living room.

"What're you up to, babe?" he asked, his tone lightly inquisitive.

"The baking for Ren and Ran's class," replied Makoto, slightly distracted as he rooted through the tiny pantry looking for his cake flour. "And before you ask, no, you can't help because the last thing I need are your greedy little fingers in my mixing bowl trying to steal batter." He had straightened and turned from the pantry, looking uncharacteristically stern in his glasses and chocolate smeared apron while brandishing a wooden spoon in a vaguely threatening manner.

Seijuurou raised his hands in mock-surrender and went back to the drama he was watching on TV, muttering under his breath how it wasn't fair that he never got to have any fun, stealing pathetic glances back at Makoto, who was now standing with his arms crossed.

"You know, puppy dog eyes don't work on someone as big as you," he said, his voice and face softening considerably. "You go have fun, and let me know if anything particularly juicy happens." Seijuurou straightened and smiled when Makoto came to give him a kiss and a slap on the rear, leaving a floury handprint behind as Makoto sent him on his way. Once his marked backside had turned the corner, Makoto busied himself with his baking once again.

While the batter was setting after being lightly mixed, he melted dark chocolate in the double-boiler to make the ganache filling. He then spooned the batter into cupcake pans, carefully dropping in a dollop of filling in each one before sliding the pans into the oven one at a time to bake. He then busied himself with melting some more chocolate for one batch of frosting, while waiting for his butter to soften enough for creaming.

The oven timer dinged, and Makoto turned to remove his cupcakes from the oven, which had risen perfectly, he noted with a sense of satisfaction. This is why he loved baking so much. Unlike cooking which had so many variables and which was open to dangerously creative interpretation, Makoto had just never felt comfortable with that much leeway. The structure of baking was much more appealing, as the rules were clear and if they were not followed then the recipe would fail. Makoto could handle that, and he did with aplomb.

He hummed a mindless little tune as he measured out the now-softened butter and turned it out into the mixer for creaming. As the mixer whirred into life with a mechanical whine, Seijuurou's head peeked in again.

"You didn't tell me you were making chocolate icing too," he whined over the noise of the mixer. Makoto turned to face him as he increased the mixer's speed.

"You're the one who told me Mom called and said the twins needed chocolate cupcakes for school," he reminded the redhead. "Too bad I never had time to talk to her directly, what with work and all," he mused, mostly to himself. "Did she say she needed us to deliver them?" Makoto had turned back to the mixer, turning it off to add more icing sugar, and some more chocolate and cocoa.

"No, she told me she would swing by while we're at work to drop them off at the school," replied Seijuurou. "It sucks because that means your mom's on to me too." At least he had the good grace to look guilty, especially when Makoto liked to remind him of how he ate more of Rei's birthday cupcakes than anybody else at the party.

"Guess she didn't just pass on her good looks then," teased Makoto as Seijuurou came up from behind to wrap his arms around his younger boyfriend's waist. Said boyfriend reached up across his shoulder with a slightly chocolatey hand and smeared a little dab onto the end of Seijuurou's ever-so-slightly freckled nose before turning around slightly in the circle of his arms to kiss it off followed by a gentle smile. He then put a little dab on his lower lip, which Seijuurou immediately licked off.

"More please," he wheedled, and Makoto broke free from his grip to wash his hands.

"That's all you get," said Makoto over the sound of the faucet. "These are for the twins, not for you, mister." He dried his hands on the towel hanging from the oven door. "Now go back to your show, I won't be too much longer." He pressed another kiss to Seijuurou's cheek, as the redhead looked back longingly at the bowl of frosting on the counter.

It wasn't long after that Makoto had finished icing the cupcakes both with pumpkins in orange-coloured icing and spiders in chocate icing dyed black. He placed them carefully in a carrier, and made space in the fridge for them with a very strict note to remind Seijuurou not to touch. Once he cleaned up his mess, he spent the rest of his evening pressed into the redhead's side as they watched old re-runs on TV before they both had to get to bed before work the next morning. It was with some satisfaction that Makoto woke up to hear Seijuurou's quiet curse and the fridge door shutting in the wee hours of the morning.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too bad for something I managed to tap out on my phone, I'd say. Not the greatest, but definitely not bad.


	5. Trick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seijuurou's side of the cupcakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For day five of the Spooky Art Challenge on Tumblr. Today's prompt: Trick.

Trick

 

Seijuurou got up before Makoto when his alarm went off and smiled to himself while he ran the water for the shower. Apparently, he was still smiling even when he and Makoto were having breakfast in the kitchen later that morning. He was smiling so much that Makoto grew concerned.

“How come you’re so happy this morning?” he asked, his spoonful of oatmeal hovering in front of his mouth. “You look like the cat that got the cream.”

“Hmm? No reason,” he said, perhaps a little too quickly. “I just have the feeling today’s going to be a really good day.” He spooned more brown sugar into his own bowl of oatmeal, with Makoto looking on in mild disgust. He knew Seijuurou had a sweet tooth, but sometimes it was borderline ridiculous. He put a spoonful in his mouth and hummed contentedly.

“You’re gonna wind up with a stomachache and a mouthful of cavities if you keep that up,” said Makoto with a little half smile. Seijuurou returned it.

“Only because you’re so sweet on top of everything else,” he purred in reply. Makoto blushed down to his collar and dropped his gaze to the table, his smile widening. Even this far along into their relationship, Seijuurou still made Makoto feel like a seventeen year-old, and he loved every second of it, dorky compliments and all. Makoto continued to toy with his oatmeal before looking at his watch with a yelp.

“Oh damn, I need to get moving! Ishida-san will have my hide if I’m not there to warm everything up before the shop opens,” said Makoto, as he shoveled the last of his oatmeal into his mouth. “It’s your turn for dinner tonight, babe, don’t forget to pick something up from the supermarket on your way home from work.” After reminding Seijuurou with a mouth full of cereal, he all but threw his bowl into the sink with a hurried apology, and flew out the door, just barely managing to grab his coat on the way out.

The next thirty minutes were the nearly the most excruciating moments of Seijuurou's life, short of asking Makoto out for their first date and then asking if he wanted to move in. He kept an eagle’s eye on the wall clock next to the kitchen table, and as soon as thirty minutes ticked by, he rewarded himself with one of his greatest triumphs to date: some of Makoto’s _incredible_ cupcakes. Seijuurou did feel at least a little bit badly for having told a teensy-weensy white lie to get Makoto to bake some of the most delicious, delectable cupcakes Seijuurou had ever tasted. Ever since tasting the lemon-meringue ones he’d made for Rei’s birthday party, he was hooked. He’d also tasted one of Makoto’s chocolate cupcakes a while back, and loved them even more. He’d had to think of a way to get Makoto baking again, and _soon._  

He’d overheard Tachibana-okaasan talking about Ren and Ran’s Hallowe’en party, that much was true. Considering their age now, though, bringing in cupcakes for the class seemed a little juvenile. And for the record, even though Seijuurou was great with kids, cupcakes this good didn’t deserve to be devoured without being savoured, the way he would. Makoto had been so busy with work lately that he hadn’t had time to check with his mother about the details, and just went with the message Seijuurou had delivered. Somehow his little scheme worked, and he couldn’t believe his luck because sitting in front of him on the kitchen table were exquisite, individual works of art waiting to be appreciated in Seijuurou’s own way.

He picked up the first cupcake, peeling off the paper liner, and bit in reverently. The crumb was rich, moist and flavourful, with the icing feeling ever-so-creamy on his tongue in a way that should frankly be illegal. He took the next bite, moaning as he hit the ganache filling, and as it melted in his mouth, he was hit with a subtle but very present note of mint, with the faint, underlying presence of coffee. Oh, his boyfriend was a goddamned genius with an oven.

Later that evening, when Makoto came home from work, he walked in to find the redheaded love of his life sprawled out on the living room couch surrounded by cupcake wrappers, sound asleep, with a hand on his stomach. Makoto shook his head, impressed he’d managed to leave so few behind, and set to tidying up the discarded paper wrappers while his takeout heated up in the microwave.

He pressed a kiss to Seijuurou’s forehead, smiling. He really did love it when his boyfriend thought he was being secretive.

 

 


	6. Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Six of the Spooky Art Challenge on Tumblr. This teensy little drabble came out a little heavier than I intended, but I feel it's open ended enough that it could apply to various pairings.

Mask

 

In our world, our society that champions truth, masks are no longer just something worn by children on Hallowe’en. Masks become facets of our being. We cut our identities into shapes pleasing to others, polished to brilliance and manipulated in ways to hide our flaws and imperfections. We place ourselves in settings where we hope we shine brightest, and find ourselves in a lineup waiting for someone else to notice, waiting for someone to see us shine and sparkle.

We wear so many masks in order to display our best qualities, while hiding what we see as ugly truths underneath. We hide who we truly are, displaying what others want to see in order to feel wanted. To feel needed. We use them as a facsimile of emotion, to conceal what we truly feel. Masks are a contradiction to ourselves, but we embrace them all the same. We embrace their toxicity, their manipulation; their obfuscation of truth, feelings, life itself. We lie to ourselves and others, and live our lies so thoroughly that we begin to lose sight of where our outward identity ends and our truths begin.

It is with this realization that I remove my masks, casting them aside with relish as I embrace my identity, my being whole-heartedly. I will love whom I please, live as I please, and answer only to myself.

I will take his hand proudly, live my life with him unrepentantly, love him unconditionally. I will shine amongst the others in the aspects of my life that matter most to me, shine brightly despite my flaws, despite my imperfections. And I will shine for myself.


	7. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa and Rei finally see the Leonids.

Stars

 

“Come on, Rei-chan! We’re going to miss them!” Nagisa tugged hard on Rei’s sleeve, hard enough for him to fear that his sweater would be permanently stretched. Their pace was borderline grueling as the smaller blond tugged him up the hillside to get the best view of the upcoming Leonids. Nagisa and Rei both had their backpacks with their essentials for their evening out together.

Their definition of “essentials” was fundamentally different, however. Rei had been smart and packed a picnic blanket with a nylon backing to prevent the evening’s dew from seeping through, a blanket for themselves in case it got cool out, trail mix for snacking and bottles of water. Nagisa hadn’t really brought anything, much to Rei’s chagrin, but did manage to pack his camera among other bits and bobs he had neglected to remove from his bag prior to packing.

As Rei flung the corners of their picnic blanket wide, Nagisa had his camera to his eye, snapping photos of the cityscape while Rei was busy. After a few more photos were taken, Nagisa turned around to find the picnic blanket spread out, with a lantern on the top edge, coating their space in a soft, warm glow. Nagisa felt his heart swell at the sight, becoming even more mollified as he noticed Rei’s blush in the dull lantern light. Neither of them said anything as they sat down, Rei’s arm around Nagisa’s shoulders and Nagisa’s around Rei’s waist. They sat and waited for their moment, heads resting against each others’, comfortable in the companionable silence.

Nagisa had begun to drift off, so comfortable on the soft ground with his boyfriend, but snapped awake when he heard Rei’s barely-audible intake of breath. The Leonids had started slowly, just one or two streaking across the night sky, but soon a trickle became a torrent once the meteor shower finally hit its stride. They watched in rapt fascination as the meteors blanketed the sky, hundreds of shooting stars to be wished upon, lines of light bright against the ink of nighttime.

Nagisa reached across Rei to pull the thick flannel blanket across their laps, warming them futher as he pressed himself more into Rei’s side. As he looked up, he saw Rei’s fond smile growing. Rei’s right hand reached over his chest to tip Nagisa’s face up by the chin, and met his lips in a light kiss, chaste and sweet. They broke apart, settling back into their prior positions, both lightly pink in the cheeks as the heavens continued their spectacle above them.

Even as they were packing up, they remained happily silent, simply content to be in each others’ company. Rei folded the blanket carefully, rolling it up and placing it back in his backpack. Nagisa had his camera propped up on a nearby tree stump, catching some of the final meteors as they made their way across the slowly lightening sky. As Rei finished zipping up his bag, Nagisa made his way back over to him, taking his hand in his own. They walked slowly back down the hill, with no particular place to be, no need to rush away from their wonderful evening together.

Rei stopped under an old oak tree, holding both of Nagisa’s small, don’t-call-them-dainty hands in his own. He pulled the smaller boy into the circle of his arms, and leaned down ever so slightly to catch his mouth in a slow, deep kiss. When they broke apart, Rei’s gaze kept Nagisa’s, and he spoke the last word of their night together.

“Beautiful,” he said, his voice hushed and barely audible, as he brushed some hair from Nagisa’s face, tucking it gently, slowly, behind his ear. Nagisa wasn’t sure if he was talking about the meteor shower or him, and quite frankly, he didn’t care.


	8. Black Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seijuurou has a harrowing experience that Makoto doesn't believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This essentially sums up my fear of cats. I live with two who are pretty great, but I still go through this every time they make a sudden move if I'm petting them. I am painfully and irrevocably a dog person to the very core and I wouldn't trade my Calvin and Hobbes for the world ;)

Black Cat

 

The front door opened and slammed shut shortly after, the noise jarring Makoto from his nap on the floor in front of the couch. He sat up, rubbing at his bleary eyes as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. He staggered into the kitchen where their entryway was, and found Seijuurou still leaning with his back against their front door breathing heavily. 

"What in the world happened to you?" asked Makoto, his voice still thick from sleep. He cleared his throat and coughed a couple times. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"This thing was no ghost, Mako," said Seijuurou between pants. "This thing must have been some kind of demon that was so evil that Hell kicked it out." The colour drained from Makoto's face as an icy finger ran up his spine, making his hair stand on end.

"W-what are you t-talking about?" asked Makoto, his voice small and shaky. He wrung his hands in front of him, a tell-tale sign he was uncomfortably anxious.

"A cat I saw on my way home just now," said Seijuurou as Makoto burst into nervous giggles. Seijuurou's face, formerly pale and slightly damp from exertion, flushed indignantly at Makoto's laughter. "This thing was bloody scary, Mako! You have no idea! It had a gang of cats with it and everything."

"They probably just all live in the area and someone was feeding them," reasoned Makoto after he calmed down enough to speak clearly. Seijuurou just buried his hands in his hair, groaning in frustration. When he removed them, his hair stuck up at odd angles, lending him a slightly insane look which almost got Makoto laughing again.

"You don't understand. I'm about a _thousand percent sure_ that this thing has followers who tag along just to watch it kill people." Seijuurou's widened eyes and sticky-uppy hair were now simply too much and Makoto doubled over, laughing wholeheartedly. Seijuurou's indignation resurfaced. "Oh, you think that's funny, huh? Well, we're gonna go find that little bastard and I'll show you what I'm talking about." He grabbed Mako's arm and had him put on his shoes. Makoto was still too amused to resist overmuch.

Seijuurou marched them down the street and into a small laneway, apparently where he had last seen the cat. Seijuurou whipped around this way and that, searching frantically for the tiny terror that had plagued him so on the way home. Then he heard it: the shrill, nails-on-a-chalkboard grate he’d heard last time. He latched onto Makoto’s arm, and pointed at a juniper, where a tiny, fuzzy face poked out.

The kitten mewed, its voice still just as tiny as its rangy body. Its fur was all black, and its eyes were a vivid, cartoonish acid green. It was shy, but Makoto reached out a tentative hand, intent on showing the tiny little thing that he meant it no harm.

“See, babe? It’s just a shy little baby kitty,” cooed Makoto in an adorable display of nonsense baby-talk. He continued to murmur nonsense at the kitten as it slowly drew itself from the bushes, tail swishing lightly. He turned his head up to smile at Seijuurou from his crouched position. “Nothing to be scared of! It’s a sweet-“

***

Makoto hissed as Seijuurou dabbed a little rubbing alcohol on the surprisingly deep gashes on Makoto’s hand. Seijuurou’s eyebrows were drawn up in concern at his boyfriend’s obvious pain, and carefully bandaged up Makoto’s left hand.

“Mako,” began Seijuurou slowly. Makoto sighed.

“Don’t bother, I’ll give myself the ‘I told you so’,” he said wryly, wearing a slightly ironic smile. “I would never have expected that little kitty to be so _mean_.”

“Hence me calling it some kind of demon’s hell-spawn,” deadpanned Seijuurou. “See, this is why I want us to get a dog. A big fuzzy dog named Nana that you could hug like a big stuffed animal and she’d help me take care of you when you try to make friends with stray neighbourhood cats.” There was the hint of a small, long-suffering smile playing around his mouth.

“Lesson learned, sweet pea. You can blame me every time I doubt you from now on,” teased Makoto, leaning forward to catch Seijuurou’s mouth in a kiss, keeping that smile for himself.

* * *

 

I couldn't resist the opportunity to show off my goggies. Click [here](http://themg28.tumblr.com/post/99535869007/look-at-these-two-goons-3-the-dark-one-is-calvin) to see the cutest goobers. #sorrynotsorry


	9. Arachnid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spooky Art Challenge Day Nine: Arachnid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this on my phone while at work. I apologize.

Arachnid

 

Nitori let out a huff of air, annoyed at having to clean and organize before he could study. Rin was right, though; he would never be able to concentrate with too much around him. He was careful to keep only the notes relevant for the material being studied at hand, bundled neatly with their respective binders and textbooks, all arranged alphabetically on the bookshelf.

As he was emptying out his garbage can, though, he caught sight of a tiny little spider trying bravely to climb up the leg of his chair. He set down the can liner on the floor, tied a quick knot in the top, and scooped up the diminutive spider in the palm of his hand, and went to the corner to set it on the artificial ficus Momo insisted they keep, in order to remain "in touch with nature".

"You stay over here, little friend. I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything," he said to the spider, his mind wandering to his ginger-haired roommate. The spider sat on its new leafy home, and Nitori returned to tidying up, not giving the spider another thought. As he finished tidying up the last of their surfaces, he took the garbage bag outside into the hall to put it down the chute.

He didn't hear Momo enter the hallway, but he _did_ hear his ear-splitting shreik upon his entering their room. Nitori all but threw the bag down the chute and ran back to their room, seeing Momo approach the fake plant with intense apprehension, brandishing one of his room slippers as though it were a knife.

“Nitori-senpai! I’m glad I got here when I did! There’s an enormous spider on the ficus!” His voice was more pinched than usual, shrill with panic as he turned golden eyes like dinner plates on his roommate. Niroti huffed out a sigh, dragging a hand through his hair.

“Momo, it’s just a spider. It’s not going to hurt you,” he started slowly, trying to calm Momo down. He drew closer to him, despite Momo’s spastic flailing, and grabbed the hand holding the slipper. Momo froze, blushing down to his collar. He turned his head to face Nitori fully, eyes flashing side to side, catching each of Nitori’s startling blue ones one after the other. His mouth hung slightly open, his body slowly relaxing starting from the point of contact with Nitori’s hand around his own, unconsciously leaning back into Nitori’s chest. His eyes started to droop shut, his breathing slowing. Nitori smiled, brushing Momo’s hair from his face.

“See? Nothing to be afraid of,” he said quietly, smiling as Momo gave an involuntary shiver at Nitori’s touch. The ficus ruffled slightly in the breeze from their open window, and Momo snapped again.

“Oh God, where did it go? It jumped, I know it did! Please help, Nitori-senpai, it’s somewhere in the room!” His voice was suddenly grating again as he dove to the floor, searching frantically for the tiny, harmless spider. Nitori could feel a headache coming on with a vengeance. _I guess I won’t be getting my studying done after all._


	10. Candles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke and Makoto's movie night is rudely interrupted by a power failure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I derped and wound up writing these out of order. Sue me, except please don't.

Candles

 

The jump scare had Makoto huddling ever further into Sousuke's side, pulling his good arm around his own shoulders tighter. Why did everyone think it was a good idea to make Makoto sit through a scary movie? Especially ones with ghosts? Not only was the movie _terrifying,_ the weather was doing its own part to make Makoto miserable too 

The wind had been been bad throughout the day, but now it was borderline savage. It tore the last of the autumn leaves from the trees as it rattled the windows of Sousuke's apartment, making Makoto's poor, fear-addled brain kick into overdrive. Sousuke tightened his arm around Makoto, keeping him snuggled in with a bit of a shit-eating grin. Rin told him that his boyfriend was a massive scaredy-cat, but Sousuke's hadn't believed him. It was adorable, though, he had to admit. He'd mentioned that he wanted to see it for himself, and Hazuki had suggested the night's movie without hesitation.

"It's got ghosts in it," he had said, with a look in his eyes Sousuke would pay never to see again.

The weather that evening had been a complete coincidence, however. When Sousuke had invited Makoto over for a movie, he hasn't really been paying attention and had felt immensely guilty upon opening his door and seeing Makoto so windblown, and looking more than a little harassed. He ushered Makoto inside, pulling him tight to his chest, rubbing his back to try and warm him up.

“I hope the weather wasn’t too bad,” he murmured into Makoto’s soft brown hair by way of greeting. He heard the smile rather than seeing it as it crossed his face.

“At least it wasn’t raining,” said Makoto into the patch of skin between Sousuke’s good shoulder and his neck. He nuzzled in further as he snaked his arms around his taller boyfriend’s waist, fingers trailing up and down that broad, strong back. “What movie were you thinking of putting on?” he asked as Sousuke disentangled them and guided them over to the couch.

“I can’t remember the name,” Sousuke lied baldly. “Something to do with a valley, I think. A friend from work recommended it, she said it was really good.” Makoto’s smile seemed relieved, as all of his horrible, terrible friends delighted in torturing him whenever they got together for movie nights. Makoto settled into Sousuke’s side as he turned on the TV and navigated the movie’s menu for it to start playing. Judging from the art in the menu, it looked like a drama, so Makoto was fairly interested already.

The movie started slowly, soft music setting an ambient mood while they introduced the main couple, who had just gotten married. It started raining outside the apartment just as the couple was moving out of the city to their new house in a small, sleepy countryside town. Just then, thunder cracked outside the living room windows, rattling the glass in their frames. Makoto’s blood suddenly ran cold. He had a terrible feeling about this movie, and sure enough, the music took an ominous turn as the couple starts finding closed doors that they usually always left open. Sousuke looked down to see Makoto’s face buried in the crook of his shoulder, his cheek pressed into Sousuke’s broad chest leaving just enough of his eye exposed so he could keep watching but turn away quickly.

As the movie moved on, it got scarier and scarier, with stabs of music making Makoto jump at the slightest provocation, making him clutch onto Sousuke’s arm with a slightly desperate strength and making Sousuke’s smile grow wider. Makoto really was an easily terrified thing, and it was probably the most endearing thing he’d ever seen.

The storm took it up another notch outside, with thunder rolling clearly through the apartment, making plates and cups rattle in the kitchen. Lightning flashed bright across the sky as the couple was assaulted by the spirits of their house. The ghosts were making the lights flicker, and suddenly the house was left in the dark. It was then that the power cut out in Sousuke’s apartment, and judging from the streetlights, all throughout the neighbourhood. Makoto’s shriek almost made Sousuke laugh, but the knee that collided with his thigh pulled his mind from the thought. Makoto yelped, though, as his foot connected with the coffee table.

“Oh god,” Makoto whimpered, forcing Sousuke back to the situation of having a boyfriend terrified out of his wits burrowed into his side, trembling violently. Lightning flashed again outside, highlighting the tear tracks on Makoto’s barely visible face and Sousuke’s heart constricted painfully. His stomach dropped as he reflected on what a horrible person he was in that moment. He wiped off Makoto’s tears with the back of his hands, brought his head to his chest and stroked soft brown hair while he waited for the trembling to lessen.

“I’m so sorry, Mako,” he whispered, pressing a light kiss to the top of his head, his tone apologetic. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have made you watch that.” Makoto’s body heaved as he sighed, his shaking having substantially slowed. “Are you okay? Do you mind if I go light some candles or something?”

“I’d love some candles,” said Makoto in a tiny voice, still trying to curl in upon himself. Sousuke kissed his forehead as he made his way to the kitchen slowly, feeling his way through the dark to the drawer at the far end of the kitchen where he kept emergency candles. He jammed one into a holder he found in the cupboard below it, and lit it with a match he’d barely managed to strike in the dark. The small apartment was soon glowing with shivering orange light, and Sousuke finally saw how distraught Makoto had become. He set the candle down on the kitchen table and lit two more, carrying them over to the living room, where he placed them on the coffee table Makoto had just kicked by accident.

As Sousuke settled back down on the couch, Makoto inched closer and as they held each other, he pulled Sousuke’s arm around himself again. He looked up, green eyes meeting startling blue.

“I never did tell you why I don’t like storms, did I?” he says in a small voice, the fire in his eyes sent chills down Sousuke’s spine and prevented him from answering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's another part to this, I didn't forget to write the rest. Promise.


	11. Gravestone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke learns something about Makoto he never would have expected.

Gravestone

 

Sousuke and I had our arms around each other, my left hand brought over myself to trace lines up and down the defined planes of his broad, muscular chest through his t-shirt. He could sense my hesitation, I knew, but didn’t prompt me to start talking. I don’t know what possessed me to say that in the first place. I dropped my gaze from his, focusing instead on my hand. I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of him: clean, spicy, soft, familiar. It stabilized me enough to start telling him.

“When I was little, I was out to the market with my parents when I met an elderly fisherman. I was pretty shy as a kid, but he was really nice to me while my parents bought fish from him for dinner that night. After that, we went out to the squid festival and I tried to win goldfish but kept losing. I’d spent all of my allowance money on that game, and was really upset that I hadn’t managed to win any.

“I ran into the old fisherman on my way back to my parents who’d gone off to buy snacks while I tried to win myself some fish. He knelt down in front of me, and asked me why I was crying. When I told him, he said he’d thought as much, and handed me a bag with two big goldfish in it. I didn’t know what to do, so I hugged him. I know, it’s a little embarrassing now,” I said, when I could feel my cheeks burning up, but when I looked up at his face, it was kind, open and fond. I snuggled in a little closer.

“The old man became my friend, my first real friend apart from Haru. I would visit him every weekend down at the harbour during the markets. He became a mentor, a grandparent and someone for me to look up to. He was always kind to me, and listened to me when I would tell him about my life. I treasured that little gesture he’d made me by giving me those goldfish, and I still do.

“One day, though, in late summer there was a terrible storm. One of the worst we’ve ever seen around here.” I took a deep breath here, pausing as I gathered my courage again. Sousuke still didn’t say anything, but his hand started up in soothing circles on my back as he pressed another kiss to my hair. “The old man’s boat, along with others, sank. Some made it back, but he didn’t. You know of somebody else that didn’t make it back either.” I looked up into Sousuke’s eyes, watching as realization dawned on him. He still didn’t say anything.

“I still remember standing on the pier, feeling lost and empty when I realized that the old man wasn’t among the men that had returned. And as if that weren’t enough, the goldfish died not too long after that.” Sousuke’s hand stopped moving on my back, and instead pulled me closer to him by the shoulder. I shifted some, so that I was half lying on top of him. I looked right into those incredible blue eyes of his.

“I still have a gravestone of sorts at my parents’, where the fish are buried. My mom’s been taking care of it while I’ve been away at school, but I tend to keep it up when I’m home for longer periods of time.” Sousuke’s brow furrowed at that, and I could see the gears turning in his head.

“So when I visited your parents a few months ago with you, that little vase in the back yard…?” He trailed off, leaving the question unfinished, but raised an eyebrow.

“…Yeah.”

Sousuke’s fingers from his free hand tilted my chin up, and he leaned forward until his lips met mine, firm but gentle. The kiss was chaste, but deeply heartfelt all the same. By the time he pulled back, I was breathless anyway.

“Makoto, I’m sorry I made you watch that movie. I should have known better that you were afraid of scary things like that, and I’m sorry that the storm scared you so much-” I put a finger to his lips, despite knowing how hard these kinds of speeches are for him, being so quiet and all. He looked surprised, but didn’t say anything further, eyebrows still drawn up together in the middle.

“Don’t you start apologizing for the weather, Sou.” He flushed visibly, even in the candlelight. “But thanks for caring enough to try.” I laid my head back down on his chest, listening to the comforting sound of his heart beating and the regularity of his breathing.

“I love you,” he said, and I felt the rumble of his voice in his chest.

“I know, but it’s nice to hear you say it out loud sometimes,” I teased, resting my chin on him while I met his eyes again. “I love you too, you goof.”

“Dork.”

“Weenie.”

“Sap.”

“Softie.” The lights chose that moment to come back on, and the TV and DVD player came on with them. When I heard the movie’s menu music, I froze.

“I swear to God, if you try to make me watch the rest of that movie, I will punch you into next week,” I threatened, teasingly, while poking him in the side where he was most ticklish. He moved to turn off the movie so quickly he took me with him in his haste. I stood up properly, and turned all the lights off again, heading back to the living room where Sousuke was still standing.

“I was just going to suggest that,” he said, eyes sparkling in the candlelight, but the low fire burning in them would have been there even without the tapers on the coffee table as he made his way closer to me. “Want to bring these with us to the bedroom?”

My candle went out in my haste to get there as quickly as I could.


End file.
